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Phuket – The recent government-led effort to reopen public access to Nui Beach in Phuket may appear at first glance to be a local dispute over land use. Yet, the case has quickly become emblematic of a broader national challenge: how Thailand manages its natural resources, enforces the law, and protects the public’s right to […] Phuket Nui Beach: A Model for Thailand’s Coastal Encrochment Reform -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

The Comptroller General's Department has clarified that retired civil servants will not have their pension benefits cut. Both current and former retirees will retain their full pension rights for life without any reduction or cancellation.

Patricia Mongkolvanic, Director-General of the Comptroller General's Department, addressed concerns through the department's official page that pension payments might be terminated due to rising annual budget expenditures. She stated that pensions cannot be cut because they represent contractual obligations established when a person entered civil service. Upon retirement, individuals continue to receive their original entitlements.

"Even current civil servants will keep their rights for life," she affirmed.

Regarding the rising annual healthcare costs, the director-general argued that the issue should not be viewed solely as a medical spending problem. Instead, Thailand should establish a comprehensive health prevention and monitoring system to reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which currently drive the highest proportion of healthcare benefit claims.

Nakhon Phanom – July 22, 2025 – The Charoen Pokphand Foundation is advancing its cattle and buffalo redemption initiative "CP Foundation: Together Redeeming Cattle and Buffalo as Royal Alms" from short-term assistance toward creating long-term employment and financial security through the Buffalo Modern Farm project, a partnership designed to provide startup capital and transfer knowledge in commercial buffalo raising. The program encompasses farm management, product development, value creation, and online marketing to improve farmer livelihoods while sustainably conserving and developing native Thai buffalo breeds.

The foundation recently held a redemption ceremony and distributed 50 breeding buffalo to 14 farming families in the seventh cohort of the modern buffalo farm project, accompanied by intensive training in farm management, product development, and online marketing to build sustainable livelihoods. The project now spans 11 provinces: Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Phanom, Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, Loei, and Songkhla. The ceremony was presided over by Major Ruayrung Kribut, Deputy Governor of Nakhon Phanom Province, alongside foundation leadership, veterinary and agricultural officials, private sector partners, donors, and community members.

Over 24 years, the CP Foundation has evolved the initiative from simply distributing cattle and buffalo into a comprehensive buffalo-raising ecosystem covering breed development, farm management, value addition, and market linkage—enabling farmers to become self-sufficient and grow sustainably while establishing a foundation for Thai buffalo to compete as a viable commercial business.

The program's core strategy is upgrading traditional buffalo raising into modern farms that apply knowledge, technology, and data for efficient management. Farmers undergo intensive three-day training covering farm operations, digital technology application, organic fertilizer production from animal manure, and product development with online marketing channels to increase income, reduce production costs, and create stable livelihoods while improving long-term quality of life.

Supchai Pannayok, manager of the Buffalo Modern Farm project at the CP Foundation, explained that the initiative began in 2002 in collaboration with the Department of Livestock under the Royal Cattle and Buffalo Bank scheme, originally providing one buffalo per farm family. However, monitoring showed this was insufficient to generate adequate income, prompting evolution into the Buffalo Modern Farm program offering quality breeding stock, knowledge, technology, and systematic farm management so farmers achieve stable, self-sustaining growth.

The project is now in phase three, adapted to suit Thai farming practices with average holdings of 10–15 rai, reducing buffalo numbers to match household labor capacity for integration with primary occupations, creating efficient and sustainable outcomes.

Car bomb explodes outside Narathiwat police station, no injuries reportedLegacyA car bomb exploded outside Tanyong Police Station in Narathiwat at 7.20pm yesterday, July 21. Police said no injuries or fatalities were reported, although the blast damaged the area. According to the investigation, a suspect drove a car carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) to the station. After reaching the entrance, the suspect parked the car and pushed it into the police station compound before fleeing on the back of a motorcycle ridden by another person. The bomb exploded shortly afterwards. The explosion damaged one pickup truck, while the blast and shrapnel also damaged several parts of the police station building. Photo via Matichon Police secured the area and began collecting evidence as explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officers carried out an initial inspection. A more detailed forensic examination was scheduled for today, July 22. Police are still investigating the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those responsible. Matichon reported that following the blast, police, military personnel and administrative officials stepped up security measures across Narathiwat. Officials increased patrols, inspected high-risk areas, checked suspicious objects and deployed drones to monitor vulnerable locations. Security was also strengthened in urban areas, along the border and at other sensitive sites to prevent further attacks and reassure residents. Photo via Matichon In related news, back in late June, two Malaysian tourists were injured in a roadside bomb attack in Tak Bai district, Narathiwat, after an explosive device detonated beside their vehicle. Police believe the bomb was intended to target a Volunteer Defence Corps pickup truck travelling through the area but exploded as the tourists’ car was passing. Officials linked the attack to the ongoing insurgency in Thailand’s southern border provinces, and the investigation remains ongoing. The story Car bomb explodes outside Narathiwat police station, no injuries reported as seen on Thaiger News.

Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, also Transport Minister, revealed that on July 22, 2025, he chaired the first meeting of the committee monitoring solutions for housing communities on State Railway of Thailand (SRT) land. Representatives from the SRT, Community Organization Development Institute, SRT Asset Company Limited (SRTA), and public sector joined the meeting to track progress and address housing difficulties for residents living on SRT property—a priority for the Transport Ministry because it affects the quality of life and residential security of tens of thousands of households across the country. Problem-solving efforts must proceed on both legal and land-use dimensions while upholding fair treatment through inclusive consultation.

Pipat reported progress on resolutions from the June 4 meeting, including renewal of 24 SRT land-lease contracts, of which 2 have been completed and 22 are underway, plus the transfer of 10 leases from SRTA to the SRT to secure long-term tenure rights. The committee also tracked remedies for communities affected by rail system development, such as reviewing land-lease rates, resolving delivery delays, adjusting rates for inflation, approving housing projects, boundary surveying, and resolving tax and rent payment issues.

Pipat stated the meeting also discussed continuity of the Cabinet resolution from February 1, 2023, addressing housing for communities on SRT land across 35 provinces, covering roughly 300 communities or 27,000 households. The SRT and Community Organization Development Institute will consult with the public to establish clear implementation guidelines and present them to the SRT board for consideration.

PHUKET — A group of foreign tourists were caught on video trading punches in Phuket's famous Soi Bangla in Patong early on July 22, 2026, following a night of drinking and socialising.

The incident reportedly took place at around 02:00 on July 22 in Bangla Soi, Pa Tong subdistrict, Kathu district, according to the Phuket Times Facebook page, which shared footage of the brawl.

The video shows several foreign tourists arguing before the confrontation escalated into a physical fight, prompting panic among people in the area.

Shop staff and both Thai and foreign tourists rushed to intervene and separate those involved to prevent the situation from escalating further.

The page captioned the footage: "Some exciting sports action at Bangla Stadium after 02:00 last night. They're fighting among themselves."

The video quickly attracted attention online, with many users sharing the footage and jokingly referring to the area as "Bangla Stadium."

Comments included jokes such as, "Bangla Stadium: the meeting point for testing strength and madness," while another user suggested setting up a proper ring with energetic music for the "show."

Others joked that the fight looked like a street boxing match and questioned why the tourists did not simply go to one of Patong's boxing stadiums instead.

The incident has also prompted discussion online about the image of Phuket's popular tourist destination.